Brilliant book! It opens with the fire that consumed the books of the Los Angeles Public Library in April, 1986.
The story encompasses so much more. The reader is taken on a journey of library discovery. We learn the history of libraries from their humble beginnings to the purposes of libraries today which involve all aspects of life everywhere.
The world of the librarian is explored. We learn the history of the library leaders who were so diverse and fascinating. Orlean relates her fascination with libraries from early times when she and her mother went on memorable trips to select any books that interested her. What's especially riveting was the nature of the fire. Did Harry Peak, the accused, set the fire or not? The reader is left to decide because there there was never any definitive answer.
Orlean's love of libraries is apparent through the beauty of her writing.

Once again Susan Orlean takes a relatively mundane subject and turns it into a compelling story. Although it begins with a spectacular, if awful, event -- a historic fire at the LA Library -- she takes off from there to explore the intricate life of the library and why it is such an important institution in America. Cherish your library card, people!

No matter how much I tried I wasn’t able to download this title from NetGalley. I haven’t had that issue with any other books so I’m not sure what happened this time. I was able to get a hard copy eventually so I could give a review. This is a book primarily about the fire that destroyed a library in LA, but it does pay tribute to other libraries. I normally don’t mind books with no pictures, but I feel like this could’ve used more pictures of libraries around the world. But overall this is a beautiful book. Thank you NetGalley!

What's not to love in a book about books? Non-fiction is not my usual genre but I had to go for this one and was not disappointed as it was easy and very interesting to read.

In April 1986, the same week as the Chernobyl meltdown, a fire burned in Los Angeles's Central Library for seven hours, destroying hundreds of thousands of books and damaging (directly or indirectly) hundreds of thousands more. No one really knows how it started, though an arrest was made of a possible arsonist.

Susan Orlean explores the past and present of the Los Angeles Public Library as well as the arson investigation, weaving interviews with current and retired staff with her own experiences at the library. The book is full of interesting tidbits and historical information. It's a fascinating read, and I really enjoyed it.

On a more personal level, it's very odd reading about people and places I know. I've worked for the LA Public Library since 2002; The Fire was well before my time, but a lot of the interviewees were familiar folks. There are a few inaccuracies here and there that jump out at me, but not enough to detract from the book overall.

How can a lover of books resist a book about books? Such was my own dilemma with The Library Book by Susan Orlean. This one is a bit out of my normal go to reads being that it is non-fiction but occasionally I can’t resist when the book is about something that interests me and this one fit the bill wonderfully.

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean was such an interesting read — I’ve never read anything quite like it. Orlean traces the origins of the Los Angeles Public Library (we’re talking the 1800’s here — super fascinating) until present day. The book specifically centers around the fire of April 28, 1986, when the LAPL burned down and more than 400,000 books were lost. Fast forward to thirty years later, and the mystery has yet to be solved: Who (if anyone) intentionally set fire to the library? Orlean puts her skills as a reporter to use, and the result is a mashup of intriguing history with a dash of mystery. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this book is because it’s an extensive look into the job title of “librarian.” I’ve always loved the library and the librarians who operate this magical space, but after reading this book I have a newfound appreciation for them and the hard work they do. If you’re a life-long library lover then definitely check out this book! Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free ecopy via NetGalley.

I absolutely adored this book. It very quickly became one of my favorite books of the year. The author made sure that the book was more than just about the arson, but also the impact of libraries in everyone's life, especially her own life. It was extremely quick and easy to read. When I first picked it up I thought it was going to focus just on the arson that occurred in the Library, but became pleasantly surprised when I realized that it was more than just about that, but also a love letter to libraries. I could not recommend this book enough, and will recommend it to everyone who even has a small positive experience with their local library growing up.

This must have been a very nicely written book. I wish I could've given it more time.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC, nonetheless.

Most of us haven’t heard of the massive fire in Los Angeles that burned half of the books in the central library in the mid 1980’s. Nor do we know of the accused arsonist or the first librarian in the city. But on Goodreads, we are book lovers with an often near-religious zeal for libraries and book stores. Author Susan Orlean has written a gripping tale that weaves these three strands together in a fascinating way. It’s a bit like a compelling magazine article or 60 Minute segment: human interest combined with facts. The characters are an unusual bunch and lend themselves to a good tale. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Library Book is a great example of what happens when you start to research something that catches your attention. It takes you from the original question to another and another and another and the next thing you know, it’s the middle of the night and you should have gone to bed hours ago.

Orlean was intrigued by the massive fire that burned through much of Los Angeles Central Library. She was amazed she had never heard of it since it was the largest library fire in America but learns it happened the day of Chernobyl. No one has been convicted of starting the fire, though there was one confounding suspect that fire authorities were convinced was guilty though he did not have the characteristics of a firebug, more of a fabulist. Where is the truth?

Where Orleans goes beyond that initial question is the history of the library and libraries, the many chief librarians and their effect on the library, how the library was very forward-thinking in terms of being part of the community and the technological innovations over the past century.


I expected to love The Library Book. I loved The Orchid Thief and have felt partial since she used to write for local alt-weekly The Willamette Week. Orlean is particularly good at noticing the little things, the details that make a description of a person sound real as well as the innovations that make a huge difference over time. While she claims to feel a bit uneasy among the homeless who are among the most faithful visitors to the Library, she is able to engage with everyone, making a connection with them that is profoundly humane.

If you like people, book, history, architecture, organizing, or community, you will find something of interest in The Library Book. While she organizes her book around the library, she reveals so much more about society and community and gives us a hopeful vision of the future.

I received an e-galley of The Library Book from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Library Book at Simon & Schuster
Susan Orlean author site

An interesting history of not only the LA Public Library fire, but of the library itself, with some additional nods to the history of librarianship. Orlean describes the LA Public Library in vivid detail and made me want to visit the landmark building someday!

I thought the summary of this book sounded very interested, but I just could not get into it. I got about 32% in before I just had to put it down. Not that this book was bad, I just wasn't interested in its contents. Susan writes in a very interesting way, going into great detail of employees of the library's lives. It went back and forth between the current library and when the fire happened. I just didn't find it interesting to read about the ins and outs of a library and all the details about specific people. I know a lot of people might find this very interesting though! Maybe I'll pick it up again in the future, but for now it just wasn't something that made me want to continue reading.

This was a fascinating book - I loved it! It told the story of the 1986 fire at the Central Library in Los Angeles as well as the story of the main suspect, Harry Peak and the history of the library and it's librarians. If you are thinking this does not sound at all interesting, you would be totally wrong. Susan Orlean is a wonderful writer and she presents the story and the history in such a way that you will not want to put the book down. Book lovers will thoroughly enjoy this book. It gave me a new appreciation for libraries and what they bring to our lives.

Nothing groundbreaking here for librarians, lol. But the story of the fire is super interesting, and the description of the various collections of the LAPL was awesome. I could have used more, tbh. Hello yes, I'm a librarian.

Still, solidly entertaining, and a good introduction to modern libraries.

Susan Orlean writes both a love letter to the public library and a history of the LA Public Library fire. If you love libraries, mysteries, and/or books this is a must read.

First of all, what a stunning cover! Secondly, I loved the unique plot - I think the story is a great tale of identity, and that is always something people ought to read about. I think the subject matter is so different, it's not something I think has ever been done before and that is an excellent selling point - What an brilliant booK!

This was a very interesting book from a genre perspective. A blend between true crime, narrative non-fiction, and memoir, I was delighted to see that Orlean's writing is as lovely as I've always been told. That said, I just couldn't seem to fully get into this book's project. It was a book I ultimately admired more than enjoyed, but I would be interested in reading more from her in the future.

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean is actually a narrative non-fiction work that tells the story of the Los Angeles Public Library fire which occurred in 1986. This text, too, includes a bit of a mystery given that the cause of the fire was suspicious and Orlean deftly explores the story of suspect Harry Peak. She also comments on her own relationship with books and reading, especially reflecting on childhood visits to the library with her mother. Overall, this is a fascinating look at library operations. Please see the video below for more visual detail from a PBS NewsHour interview with author Susan Orlean:

embedded video from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maMYa1trDsc

Like millions of people all over the world, I have a fond, deep attachment to libraries. Author and journalist Susan Orlean is one of those people who grew up loving the library, but found herself not visiting it as much as an adult. But then she had a kid, and started visiting her local branch in Los Angeles, and found out for the first time about a major fire there in the 80s that burned hundreds of thousands of books...assumed to be arson, but never actually solved. This inspired her to write The Library Book, which explores that fire and the recovery afterwards, but also the history of the Los Angeles Public Library in general and the changing role of it and other libraries as the greater world has become a different place.

As you might be able to tell from that description, there's not one particularly strong focus for the book. The closest thing to a through-line is a true-crime-esque accounting of the investigation of the fire, and the primary suspect, a failed actor named Harry Peak. But along the way, Orlean touches on the history of libraries, especially the one in Los Angeles, highlighting several of the more interesting directors it has had along the way. While the image of a library in the popular consciousness tends to be of a somewhat stuffy institution, Orlean talks to librarians on the ground to get a more nuanced view, particularly about the role they play in coordinating community and social programming for their users, from children, to new Americans learning English, to the homeless. And she also includes input from the library staff that were there at the time of the fire, the way it impacted them, and how they and the library itself got back to normal.

Orlean's genuine appreciation and love for reading, books, and libraries shines through the text, making an instant connection with the reader. It's impossible to not happily recall your own wonder at the library the first time you went in and realized that all these books are just here, for anyone to take with them and read. And while it might not work for everyone, I found Orlean's subject-hopping to be refreshing...it kept any one portion from bogging down or getting boring. Her descriptions of how the Los Angeles Public Library came to be designed and built made me want to visit it, to see it for myself, and reflect on the ways that public good buildings like libraries have seen their value, in the eyes of the public, decline over the years. Older libraries were often constructed as grand, their mission seen as important and necessary. Nowadays, it's about how to keep costs down, aiming for sturdy functionality over inspiration.

The way Orlean unwinds her story may prove irritating to a reader who prefers a strictly linear narrative. And after spending quite a bit of time going down a path which makes you think she's relatively convinced of Peak's guilt for setting the library ablaze, she refuses to draw that conclusion, leaving it ambiguous in a way that could be frustrating for someone who really wants closure. But her storytelling skills are top-notch, and if you're willing to follow her, you'll be rewarded by a genuinely compelling work of non-fiction. While I'll admit it didn't have the little something extra that would have pushed it to "great" in my mind, it was very good and I happily and highly recommend it to everyone, especially those who love to read.